Red
by DarkAngel91398
Summary: *Requested* Blossom ran the rest of the way home and Brick noticed how her bow had fallen as well as the book.. Blossom X Brick (Story due to popular demand)
1. Chapter 1

Red... Brick X Blossom.. **Requested**.. By Dark Angel 91398..

A/N: So, a friend of mine Pmed me and asked me to do a oneshot about Brick and Blossom. Naturally, I obliged. So, here you are, EmoAngelAlien!~

Chapter One: Crystals..

Brick hated not being able to fly on cold, snowy days. He loathed it more than he did detention or than he did having to watch the good life fly by his red eyes.

Though he would never admit it, Brick often thought about the one thing that kept him going. He hated that one thing, despised it with a passion. However, he thought about that object of loathing more than he'd like to admit and it made his stomach turn as he imagined it.

Or, rather, her. Yes, Brick was once again thinking of his pink-eyed, red-bowed counterpart. Blossom had been on his mind a lot lately and Brick wasn't exactly sure why. Maybe it was because she had matured a lot. Maybe it was because she was a bit more friendly to everyone.

He didn't know and he hated not knowing. It drove Brick wild, not being sure why he was thinking heavily about Blossom lately and the taste of her name on his tongue made chills run down his spine.

Brick sighed as he watched the sky blur into a messy tangle of gray and the snow started to fall. Brick dreaded the falling of snow. Sure, it was pretty to look at and one could use it as ammunition to toss at a certain girl, but it was cold. Brick hated the cold.

His elemental power was, after all, fire and the heat diminished in the bitter frost of the cold. He frowned, wishing he would have had a jacket or maybe even an umbrella, and sighed as he heard footsteps behind him.

Brick wasn't sure why, but he was hoping it was Blossom. The thought of her made his face warm and his stomach curl pleasantly. He bent down with the intent of pretending to tie his shoe and the footsteps slowed down as they approached him.

The steps sped up quickly and Brick watched as a certain someone with a large, red bow scurried by him without stopping. His blood red eyes watched her escaping form and lingered on her long legs.

Brick mentally smacked himself. She was his enemy. It had been that way since day one and it would stay that way until, well, the end of their lives. It had to, right?

Regardless, Brick stood up and rushed up to Blossom, who had her face buried in a book. She didn't regard his presence like he had half-hoped; she ignored his existence like he was a ghost.

"Hey there, Pinkie. Whatcha readin'?" Brick grinned in fraud politeness.

Blossom kept her eyes on the words, her rose pink eyes skimming left to right, and didn't even spare the red-eyed teen a glance. Shockingly, Brick felt a pang of hurt in his heart at the way she was blowing him off. Why it felt like his heart was a dam ready to burst, he did not know. He did know that he disliked this book.

Disliked this stupid book for making Blossom ignore him. The book was evil. He decided that right there and then. Stupid, arrogant book! How dare it steal Blossom's attention away from him!

Books were pure, unholy evil. Especially this one.

"Don't ignore me! I know you can hear me!" Brick growled.

No response.

"Blossom! Stop ignoring me!" he commanded.

She blinked and he watched as the snow that had clung to her eyelashes drifted off. Oddly enough, Brick thought that maybe, just a tiny bit, that she looked pretty with snow around her. Or, maybe, the cold was getting to him.

"Bossy Blossie!" he yelled.

Blossom sighed, but didn't reply to the childhood nickname. This was starting to wear his nerves down; she never ignored that name. Nope, it was a name she despised because of him.

He felt like grabbing that godforsaken book and throwing it, as far as he could, down the street. That book was eviler than he was and Brick didn't like things eviler than him. Especially things that didn't breathe or live.

Brick sighed, stuffing his cold hands in his pockets, and shivered in the cold air. Damn, if he had a jacket! Damn the cold!

He let out another exhale of air, watched his frosted breath dance in the wind, and peered at the book from over Blossom's shoulder. He felt like laughing at the book once regarded evil. Romance. Of course.

She hadn't minded his reading from on her shoulder until she felt it, the annoying shivering of Brick Jojo. Blossom forced herself away from the book and glanced at Brick. He didn't have a jacket or gloves or a scarf. Given, he did have a hat, but what would a baseball cap do against the snow?

Why was Brick such an idiot? She glowered at him and noticed it. How close his face was to hers. Despite the fact it was Brick, Blossom blushed. Since when did he get so...? What word was it? Not pretty.. Not gorgeous.. Handsome.

Since when was Brick Jojo handsome? She knew he had had a lot of girlfriends, all the high school girls fawned over him all the time, and he was popular unlike her.

But, since when was Brick handsome?

She pursed her lips in irritation and after moments of thinking, shook her shoulder. Brick, whose head had rested on that shoulder and was kind of dozing off on his feet, blinked and his eyes flashed to her.

"What do you think you're doing?" Blossom demanded, glaring at him.

"Reading a book, Ms. Untonium." Brick snickered, mocking the way she would talk to teachers.

"That's not what I meant." she sighed irritably. "Why are you so close to me?"

"Why are you reading a romance when you complain that they're shit?" he retorted.

Blossom's face flushed red. She had said that multiple times in school, but Brick had never paid attention. Or, at least, she hadn't expected him to.

"W-Why are you stalking me? And where's your jacket?!" Blossom demanded angrily.

"It's not stalking if we walk the same route and I forgot my jacket at school." the villain shrugged. "It's not that cold anyway."

The pink-eyed Puff rolled her eyes at his attempt to be masculine. She could see the goosebumps on his skin and the way he shivered. She unbuttoned her black trench coat and Brick froze immediately.

"What the hell are you doing?" the evil ginger demanded, face turning red as his thoughts turned a little more than PG-13.

"Brick, would you kindly shut up?" Blossom huffed with the last slip of a coat button. "Wear this. You'll get sick out in weather like this."

Brick blinked blankly as the super heroine shoved her jacket towards him without so much as a glance. If anything, she was ignoring him and.. Was she blushing? No, it was the cold; it had to be! Regardless, he reluctantly grasped it and merely stared.

"Aren't you going to get cold?" the red-eyed Ruff frowned.

"Not at all. Technically, I don't need a coat. Why would I with being able to control the cold and heat?" the girl pointed out. "I mainly wear my jacket so people don't ask questions."

".. Why are you giving me your jacket anyway? We hate each other and everything else. I doubt it will even fit me." he scowled.

"It's too big for me." she shrugged. "My friend gave it to me for my birthday as a gag gift. Just see if it fits a little."

Brick felt like laughing at the redhead with her powdery red cheeks, but ignored the feeling and took the liberty of slipping the jacket on. To say he wasn't surprised when it fit would be a lie; he was shocked. He was grateful under everything though.

"It fits." Brick said. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"I could ask the same of you." the pink Puff retorted.

"I was wandering." he shrugged, lying. He had been beating up some kid from his Civics class for personal reasons. Mainly involving Blossom being a "hot babe".

"I was at the library, reading to the little kids." she smiled.

The thought of the youngsters made Blossom smile and Brick knew it. He could tell by the way her eyes were sparkling like diamonds and the way she was smiling. He wished he could be happy over the stupid, simple things like she could, but he knew it would never happen.

The word "library" made Brick's red eyes wander back down to the book that was left forgotten in Blossom's cold hands. Why was she reading this anyway? She didn't need it, she supposedly didn't like it, and she was pretty enough to be living the goddamn thing. He read the next page:

"_He leaned in a little closer. 'Too close, sweetheart?' Gregory asked wickedly. 'Way too close. You know, I'm not popular like you and your friends, right?' Helena sighed as she pulled away. 'Hey, Elena? I don't give a fuck.' he laughed."_

"_'Why not?' the brunette asked honestly. The smirk on his face grew as he wrapped his arms around her. She tried not to notice when his face was closer and he set a leg behind hers, pulling her in slightly. 'Rules are made for everyone BUT me, porcelain doll.' Greg smirked."_

Hell, Brick could do those things if Blossom wanted him to! She closed the book, tucked it under her arm, and he wondered what she was doing. The alleyway up ahead was probably a shortcut for her.

Brick impulsively stopped the redhead and she looked at him with a quizzical expression before he embraced her with a grin. She blinked and her muscles went taut, feeling his form against hers. This wasn't Brick behavior.

"Brick? What are you doing?" Blossom frowned confusedly.

Brick smirked and ignored her. His hand trailed up to the girl's face where he cupped her chin, tilting it upward. She shifted awkwardly. A foot of hers was placed back and his foot was planted behind hers, his leg wrapping around hers. He could top that fake romance shit.

"Don't you worry about me." Brick smiled sweetly.

"How can't I? You're acting weird." Blossom stammered with heat rising into her cheeks.

She felt the pink heat in her cheeks burn bright red as his lips came closer to her lips and she shivered. Brick knew it wasn't the cold; she was nervous or eager or some other emotion. His eyes closed and her eyes widened when he kissed her.

Blossom froze and her heart was pounding under her long-sleeved shirt. Her eyes closed briefly and opened again. Brick was a good kisser and she knew she wasn't. Blossom wasn't because she only had one and Brick made her nervous. She gingerly planted her lips against his and pulled away as fast as she could, yanking away from the Ruff.

Blossom ran the rest of the way home and Brick noticed how her bow had fallen as well as the book.

AUTHOR NOTE: I had a deadline, so, EAA, I apologize for this ending the way it did!~ If anyone wants this to be a story, tell me (Especially a certain person! **Cough, cough**)


	2. Chapter 2

Red... Brick X Blossom.. **Requested**.. By Dark Angel 91398..

A/N: So many of the reviews demanded a story.. I agree to it. First chapters are hard to top when it involves my stories, so please don't hate me if I manage to screw up! Thanks!~

Chapter Two: Sleepover

The sky was clear and splattered with stars, but Blossom felt like the world should have been cloudy and dark like the thoughts that ran rampantly in her mind as she recalled what had occurred earlier.

Her lips tingled at the memory that had her body filled with anxiety and absentmindedly, the ginger raised her cold fingers to her mouth as if to soothe the odd sensation. She had lost her bow and the book Robin had lent her, but the stress had flooded out all of that nonsense.

He kissed her. He had just.. Kissed her.. Blossom's mind understood the thought, but couldn't truly comprehend it, process it. It was wrong and painfully so. It felt like a sin, like doing something wicked.. But it also felt like bliss, like something absolutely virtuous.

The audacity of that boy perplexed her. In fact, Brick in general puzzled her. He was a broken puzzle, pieces thrown haphazardly across the floor, scattered and jumbled without any indication of where to begin.

In any case, her stomach ached at the thought of him and she felt unsure of herself at this point. He was handsome, that she had determined earlier, but for him to have feelings for her...?

A painful aching in her head warned Blossom against dwelling on the thoughts any longer. The scenarios and thoughts were tossed to the side in the recesses of her mind as Blossom forced herself away from her window.

The clock by her bedside stand declared that it was eleven forty-six. Her usual time to go to sleep was, at the latest, ten fifteen. Those accursed thoughts! They would keep her entangled in their villainous reach forever if they could, wouldn't they?

Blossom sighed and her fingers went up to the spot where her red bow usually rested before she could remember that her beloved bow had been whisked away by the wicked breeze of winter.

Trying to ignore the odd feeling of emptiness that filled her stomach, the redhead crept into her bed and snuggled against her pillows before drifting off into a deep, dreamless slumber.

XxXxX

The room was still and silent, the clock stating sleepily the time of midnight, when Blossom was jolted awake by a booming crash outside her window.

The long-haired girl blinked and felt the cold air outside her covers nip her skin. She unraveled herself from her warm cocoon and carefully approached the window. She glanced outside uncertainly with her mind foggy from the clouds of a unfitting sleep.

Brick grinned back at her, his hair a tangled mess and his shirt wrinkled, slashed at some spots. Blossom froze like a deer in headlights of a menacing truck. She could read his lips as he mouthed the words.

Open the window.

The red Ruff's Mona Lisa smile unnerved his female counterpart. It was new, foreign, and unreadable unlike the rest of Brick's body language. She was reluctant to open the window. He was an annoying, pompous jerk that never hesitated to abuse her, verbally and physically.

Open the window.

Slowly, Blossom shook her head with her long locks mimicking the movement. Brick was a nuisance and she longed to crawl under the covers, leave dealing with the world tomorrow. Brick frowned and mouthed the words a little more forcefully.

Blossom, open the window!

The girl mouthed her refusal and Brick gave her an annoyed look, pursing his lips. She felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. She gave another shake of her head and turned away. He tapped on the window loudly.

She glared back at him and her eyes widened. Brick smiled at her innocently, his fingers wrapped around her cherished bow. He mouthed the words again.

Open the window.

She shook her head and demanded the return of her precious item, her cherry red bow. Brick sighed and silently gave her a look that told her to open the window or else she'd never have her bow again.

Reluctance bit at her mind as Blossom's fingers positioned themselves under the window's sill. Was that an evil gleam in his eyes or her imagination? She desperately wanted the bow back, but was letting him into her home worth it?

Yes. She had to have her bow back. Blossom pried the window open and backed away as Brick flew in.

"Took you long enough.." Brick grumbled, shivering.

"Why are you here?" Blossom frowned.

"I don't know what you mean." he said.

Blossom held back an angry retort and glowered at Brick. He was a mystifying boy. He was acting as if what happened earlier had never exactly occurred, like everything was normal. This knowledge made her stomach fill with a stony feeling that made her bitter.

"Allow me to be a little more specific. Why are you, Brick Jojo, here at my house at an unholy time, late at night?" Blossom demanded sarcastically.

Brick shifted uncomfortably and Blossom noticed the way a smear of dark red, an almost maroon color in the shadows, painted his left arm. She squinted to examine the boy. Her eyes widened.

"Brick.." Blossom gaped. "You're bleeding!"

Brick's eyes widened as he looked down at the stain and the girl rushed over, scolding him like a cat that had napped in the warm sun only to be rained upon dreadfully. He hadn't even known he was bleeding and damn, if he knew how it happened.

He did know he enjoyed Blossom worrying about him more than she did about her bow.

Blossom gingerly ran her hand over the wet splotch on Brick's arm and noticed a similar color faintly spreading across his shirt, hidden and camouflaged safely by the dark colors of red and black.

"Brick, sit down on my bed now. I'll be right back. Just.. Just don't fall asleep or anything, okay?" the super heroine commanded sternly.

"Sure. Why not?" Brick mumbled.

The ginger girl sighed and rushed into her bathroom, her long hair gliding behind her silently. She had put a first aid kit in the cupboard of her bathroom as a precaution to some untold emergency and now that she needed it, Blossom couldn't find it in the back of storage.

Her fingers brushed against a rectangular container made of plastic and Blossom grasped the item firmly, carefully lifting it out of the closet. The bright, cheerful red that had reminded the girl of fire engines seemed somewhat morbid when she actually thought about why the kit existed and Brick hissed through his clenched teeth outside the room.

He drew another sharp inhale as his body finally recognized the pain as his arm brushed against his side, roughly scraping the wound with the fabric. He couldn't help but worry. How much blood had he lost? How long had he been hurt? When and where?

Brick watched as Blossom walked back in with a familiar box in hand and his eyes narrowed at the sight of the damned red. He refused to let her tend to the injury regardless of what it was or how badly it damaged his body. Brick would rather suffer than have to be humiliated by something as embarrassing as having her heal him.

"Brick, take your shirt off." Blossom stated flatly, opening the kit, as she kneeled on the floor with the box open next to where he sat.

"You want me to do what?" Brick demanded incredulously.

"..Y-You heard me." she said. "T-Take your shirt off."

Brick blinked at her coolly. Was she... Blushing? It was difficult to tell if her cheeks were turning that amusing shade of powdered pink and red, but he could faintly see the coloration in the shadowy light coming from the dull street lamps.

Blossom glanced at him firmly and tried to ignore the heat in her face that always built up when he was around.

"Brick, just hurry up and do what I say. Please?" the Puff sighed.

"Why is it you're so suddenly attracted to me, Bossy?" the Ruff snickered coldly. "I never knew you liked moi!"

"I'm not Bossy and I don't like you." she sneered frigidly. "But, you're hurt obviously and I kind of have to take care of people who get hurt."

"Is that going to be your excuse?" he smirked humorlessly.

Blossom glowered at him fiercely, her pink eyes catching the dim light and glowing like an aggressive tiger that had a thorn stabbed in the tender pad of its lethal paws. Had it been anyone but Blossom, Brick would have made a sly or flirtatious comment about the staring.

Butterflies filled his stomach to his dismay and beat their jeweled wings rapidly, trying to escape vainly. Brick sighed in defeat and his fingers gripped the bottom of his shirt. He growled lowly as the pressure of his arm against the wound wracked through him again. He noticed that Blossom was avoiding his gaze after he finally removed his bloodied article of clothing.

He mentally cursed as his thoughts turned a little more than PG-13 once again and the butterflies became an angry hornets' nest that was determined to sting everything in sight.

Blossom felt her face continue to burn up as she gingerly inspected the wound with a peroxide-soaked swab in hand. Why did Brick of all people have to be so, dare she admit it, beautiful? She ignored the way he bit his lip, the way his red eyes glimmered, and winced as she saw the injuries.

The two wounds were long enough to travel across to the base of Brick's throat and Blossom didn't wanted to dwell on how deep they were, though they didn't look like they would be the cause of an untimely death. She wasn't sure why, but she had a feeling that a tip of a blade was dug into her counterpart's skin.

"So, Doc, what's the news?" Brick joked nervously, swallowing as Blossom's expression changed drastically.

"There's the tip of a knife in you. I-I'm going to need to get it out.." Blossom confessed shakily. "Just hold still and no matter how bad it hurt, don't scream. O-okay?"

Brick silently nodded and he tried not to notice how scared the Utonium girl sounded. Like she was afraid to mess up somehow and hurt him. He knew he had been acting abrasive towards her and pretending that he hadn't kissed her, but the thing he was most aware of was how much she was worried.

The buzz of pain caught the Jojo boy off-guard and he nearly shouted, barely clapping his mouth shut with the bite of his bottom lip. A low whine in his throat escaped as Blossom tried to loosen the trapped shard. Desperately, the redhead squeezed his eyes shut and tried to focus on some other thing, a distraction from the hurt.

The first thing that came to mind, as forever and always, was Blossom. The way she was trying not to hurt him, the way her hair just barely brushed against him, the way her breath hitched when he made a noise of agony. He hated thinking about her yet it made him feel better.

Another shot of pain reverberated through the anti-hero's body and Brick's hand impulsively found Blossom's hair, clutching the long tresses like his life depended on it. Faintly, Blossom's heart pounded and Brick gave a watery smirk, knowing she wasn't likely to see it.

"Don't pull my hair." Blossom pleaded. "Brick, please."

"I won't promise a thing." Brick snickered hollowly. "Since when have I ever listened to anyone?"

Though his eyes were closed, Brick knew the girl was scowling, but agreeing with the words he said. The Ruff tensed as he felt the breath of his counterpart on his skin and his hand tightened into a balled fist as the pointed tip was finally removed.

The boy waited until Blossom was done cleaning the cuts to open his eyes. His hand was still tangled in her hair and through the stray, frizzy strands, he could see the girl staring at him with her tiger eyes. A shiver barreled its way down his spine and he smirked at her.

"Are we done now?" Brick asked mischievously. "The last thing I need is you ripping my body limb from limb because I ruined your hair."

"I'm not shallow, you know. We just need to wrap the cuts and you're home free." Blossom sighed.

"Why wrap them? We're super humans, babe. We heal pretty fucking quick." he snorted.

"The wounds are still fresh and they shouldn't be getting dirty, 'babe', in case you don't want an infection." she snarled sarcastically.

The bitter way Blossom had spat out his usual offensive, derogatory nickname made Brick feel.. Guilty? Upset? He wasn't sure, but he almost loathed the word when it wasn't his mouth it was coming from. It sounded like a beautiful curse coming from her vocals, but the hatred was so obvious in the word.

"I'm going to wrap you up. You can fly still, right?" the female mumbled, digging through the almost forgotten kit.

".. I'm not sure. It hurts like hell from you prying that tip out." Brick shrugged with enough focus not to bump the wound that was surceasing its bleeding. "What happens if I can't? How deep was that thing anyway?"

"It was in pretty deep. I don't know how many inches it was." she said.

"You didn't answer my other question." he complained.

".. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I-I should be bandaging you.." she murmured, stumbling on her words.

Brick sighed at the words. She was avoiding the subject, so that meant she felt awkward about what would happen of he indeed couldn't travel by himself through flight. Walking was a non-no because Townsville Police Department patrolled around a lot and held grudges against villains, the Rowdyruff Boys in particular. The bus wasn't running at such a ridiculous time naturally.

Unsurprisingly, Brick gazed at his counterpart and watched as those ember locks of hers cascaded down onto his skin. He felt awkward and out of place in her clean, pink room, now that he thought about it. He felt odd being near her because she was all the things he wasn't, some of the things his dad had half-hoped he'd be and would become.

Brick knew she felt uncomfortable around him as well. He could tell from the way her eyes became feral and dangerous, so unlike the eyes she wore when she was happy or calm, and the way her face became a palette of pink-red.

The ripping of the bandages cracked in Brick's ears and he stared into those wild eyes of pink. Were they truly eyes of an animal or was he imagining them like that? He couldn't tell, but the romance book he had taken from her must have effected him somehow. He wouldn't admit it, but he had finished it and reread it.

"You can go if you can fly." Blossom said softly as she stood to put her first aid kit away.

"It still hurts." Brick lied.

"..." Blossom avoided his gaze and went into the bathroom to put the kit away.

In an instant, Brick's mind put it together. He would stay here with Blossom in her room while no one else in the house had a clue. She was mortified at the thought. Brick smirked and watched Blossom exit the room.

"You already know." the girl sighed heavily.

"You're right. I do." the boy said with a sigh of false disappointment. "Guess we'll be roommates for the night till I'm better."

"Just put a shirt on, Brick, and we won't have a problem." she remarked, shaking her head disapprovingly.

Brick sneered at the soil article of clothing that was stained with rusty red. If needed to, the shirt could be warn, but he honestly didn't want to wear it.

Blossom sighed as she saw the villain's reaction to her comment. She shouldn't feel bad like she did; after all, he was the one who had been mistreating her since the day they met and was still treating her rather roughly after he...

Though she'd regret it later, Blossom gingerly opened her closet and pulled out a black and red shirt that was too large for her. She coolly handed it to Brick and he blinked at the unselfish gesture before slipping the shirt on.

"You're lucky I wake up first every morning." Blossom mumbled as she pulled her hair back and put her bow on her bedside stand.

"Thanks.." Brick yawned. "I don't want to sleep on the floor.."

"Y-you're not seriously considering...?!" she demanded. "Brick!"

"Come on, Blossom.. Nothing's going to happen. We're both tired and I'm injured. I don't think I'll be playing Romeo tonight." he scoffed.

"It's still awkward. We.. Don't exactly see eye to eye or have normal conversations." she replied. "Plus.. Y-you're a boy.."

"Blossom. Seriously." he snorted exasperatedly. "Just think of it as a sleepover."

"... Fine. But, no funny business." she reminded him. "And you stay on your side!"

Brick rolled his eyes as Blossom snuggled back under the covers and coolly clambered over to the side next to her. He noticed how they slept in the opposite positions, Blossom on her stomach and he on his back, and smiled at the way his counterpart was cuddling against her pillows.

"Night, Blossom." Brick murmured quietly.

".. Night, Brick. Sweet dreams." said girl whispered softly.

Brick nestled back into the comfortable bed and smiled contentedly as the scent of his counterpart washed over her soothingly, lulling him to a deep slumber.

- End of Chapter-


	3. Chapter 3

Red... Brick X Blossom.. **Requested**.. By Dark Angel 91398..

A/N: Gah... I-I'm nervous! You reviewers have too much faith in my ability to create a story.. I really hope no one is disappointed this time, aru! -Salutes and marches away while people stare thinking 'WTF..?'- Although I think I jinxed myself...! Also, someone needs to invent a cure for writer's block. Seriously, DO IT.

Chapter Three: Fear

Brick's eyes opened as he felt bright but thin sunlight kiss his face and he yawned groggily. His eyes widened at the rather unwelcome sight of various shades of pink before he remembered that he wasn't at his house in his room, but in Blossom's room at the Utonium household.

He attempted to sit up and paused as he heard a sleepy moan of protest. Brick looked down and blinked at the sight of his counterpart hugging him, her face buried in his stomach and her arms wrapped around him possessively.

Brick wasn't sure whether to laugh or push her off roughly, mess up her hair. The warmth of the girl was actually pleasant and the boy almost considered staying in the bed for a while longer. She let out a content sigh.

The red-eyed boy didn't know how to assess of the situation as he watched the sleeping ginger cuddle against him. Blossom, hugging him. It made him feel .. nervous, palms sweating and trembling. Damn it.

Just damn it. Why did his heart just have to start pounding for the Powerpuff Girl sleeping on his stomach? Why did he have to fall for a girl that he was born to hate? They were utter, complete opposites sides of the coin, destined never to understand or love one another.

But, somehow, he wanted this. He wanted this forbidden relationship, waking up to her sleeping so close to him. And he loathed himself for it. Despised himself for wanting to have what everyone else did, wanting an opposites-attract relationship.

Blossom, however, did not know this and was unaware of how deep Brick's feelings were for her. Her mind was elsewhere, somewhere where broken wings of butterflies still flew and where dreams were united soundly for all of eternity. She was in entangled in the chains of Dreamland with her little sister.

She missed that little sister a lot, though she never let anyone know that she mourned at night and often wished for that lost girl of purple to be with the family again.

Brick looked down at the sound of a hiccuping noise and Blossom curled, face scrunched up with emotion. A tear crept its way down her cheek and he wiped it away gently, wondering why in the world she was asleep but crying.

"...P-please don't.. Y-You can't..!" Blossom cried softly.

Brick frowned, stroking her hair carefully. It sounded like she was having a nightmare of some sort. He wasn't sure what to do, but comforting his counterpart seemed like the most natural thing to do. She whined out something and burrowed against his shirt.

"No!" she shrieked.

"Hey, wake up.. Blossom.." Brick mumbled, shaking the girl.

"N-Not again! I-I... I'll never let you ever do it again!" the said girl screeched loudly.

"Blossom!" he panicked. "Wake up before everyone else does!"

Brick groaned as she cried into his shirt and he tried to think of every single trick he could remember to stop a nightmare. He had tried shaking her, being loud (to some extent anyway), and comforting her, but she was still in that cursed dream. There really wasn't anything else he could think of.

Except for one little thing that he was hesitant to do. He didn't want to admit it, but Brick was a very slightly different child than his brothers: Brick was the slightly rough and tumble leader who was a closet romantic.

Brick wasn't sure if he should do what he was thinking of, that one thing he had learned from a book he read once. It made his face red to even imagine doing it and he was full of dubious planning.

Blossom's brows furrowed slightly and her bottom lip trembled as she twisted around. The ginger boy nervously swallowed and tried to steel his nerves as they snapped out of control, causing his stomach to fill with ice cold anxiety.

It was just like Sleeping Beauty, right? Just kiss the girl and get it over with. Nothing was going to be to hard unless Blossom's scary sister walked in, saw him, and decided to have a quick morning workout by using his face as a punching bag.

He had already kissed her once. There wasn't much of a difference aside from Blossom sleeping yet somehow, that fact made Brick extremely unnerved. Brick closed his eyes coolly and exhaled slowly in an attempt to get his racing heart to slow down.

It wasn't like it was a life or death situation, was it? Just a simple kiss and..

Goddamn it, he was nervous as hell. If there was one thing did not happen to Brick Jojo, it was getting too nervous for action. He liked to think of himself as a man of action although that was debatable depending on his mood.

Brick sighed as she stirred against him and, keeping his eyes squeezed shut, kissed her lips carefully. He cautiously opened an eye and gulped as Blossom gave him a warning look, pulling away.

Blossom's face flushed much to Brick's amusement and she rolled off of her counterpart with a morning grace that he felt belonged only and solely to her. She shook her long hair out lazily with an animalistic glare aimed deep into his red eyes

"Well.. That was an.. Interesting way to wake up." Blossom finally joked sarcastically.

"In my defense, it was your fault. You were screaming and crying about something." Brick snorted abrasively. "I thought you were going to wake up the whole goddamn city with the way you were wailing."

Blossom's lioness eyes widened and Brick found it strange at how they melted into soft eyes of a rabbit. The redheaded Puff sighed, her cheeks turning a different shade of vermillion that seemed to be a rarity compared to the rest of her blushing hues.

"Oh.." Blossom sighed. "You.. Woke up because of that?"

"I was already awake when you started yelling. I'm shocked no one heard it though." Brick admitted. "You'd think you were being murdered."

"Everyone's used to it." she shrugged.

"What, is it a nightly occurrence or something?" he asked.

"It.. Happens more often than not." she confessed grimly. "I really don't want to talk about it."

"Well, we're talking about it now. What was it about?" he demanded. "Why were you saying all of that shit?"

Blossom shifted awkwardly, chewing her bottom lip, and slid off of the warm bed. Though the floor and the air was decidedly cooler, she didn't want to be near Brick or the seemingly cozy nest of covers. It wasn't wrong of her to withhold the information if he was the one with no business prying and she wanted to just get away from it.

"Where are you going?" Brick inquired, cocking a brow at the odd behavior of his counterpart.

"To the bathroom. That's it." the Puff mumbled almost inaudibly. "I.. Just need to go to the bathroom."

Brick tried to ignore the empty sound that echoed through the girl's hollow voice and watched as the bathroom door closed shut with a solid click of a lock. The irresistible thoughts of guilt filled his head heavily.

He didn't like worrying about Blossom and her odd behavior. Brick might have been a closet romantic, but emotions were never his forte. In all honesty, Brick wished he didn't feel the way he did about her so he wouldn't always be distracted all the time even with his brothers-.

His brothers! Brick mentally winced as he realized the other two Rowdyruff Boys were probably going to destroy the city if and when they woke up to find the capped teen missing. No doubt about it at all; Butch had a short temper and Boomer... Well, he did what Butch and Brick told him to without much of a fight.

The redhead sighed in defeat as his mind filled with its regular morning thought dosage of Blossom. He couldn't leave her now, not after the nightmare when she seemed the most vulnerable. Truthfully, the red boy did want to get home before the two knuckleheads he called siblings could wake yet he couldn't bring himself to leave.

The stress would eventually make him crumble like a crudely constructed palace made of sand, the anxiety over Blossom and the worry of his brothers finding out his dirty, little secret that would topple his life over in a domino effect. Brick closed his eyes to think deeply and collect his scattered mind.

Though the water was as cold as the Arctic, Blossom continue to splash her face with it using her shaking hands. She dreaded the nightmare more than before. She had thought that maybe with Brick here, her subconscious fears and woes would subside for the night. But, if anything, his presence had worsened the twisted dream that was forgotten usually by now.

She gently rubbed the palm of her left hand absentmindedly as it began to sting as if doused in acidic chemicals from the Professor's lab. The pain worsened when the sound of Brick's sighing became an arrow that split the air cleanly.

Blossom's stomach coiled at the thought of Brick oddly. It wasn't her normal stomach curl of discomfort or of nervousness or even concern. It was a weird difference in the way it swirled, a miniature hurricane breezing through her.

The unbearable hurt of her hand snapped her away from her musing on the queer sensation in her belly. Blossom curiously flipped her hand over and gaped down at her palm. A burn mark the size of a silver dollar marred it and the brilliant red stood out against her pale skin.

"Bloss? Are you okay in there?" Brick's voice demanded from the other side of the door. "It's been a while."

"I-I'm fine. Just washing my face.." Blossom replied shakily. "Pl-please wait, okay? Just for a few.."

"You sound sick. I'm coming through this door in five seconds unless you come out." he growled.

"Brick, don't you dare!" she scolded.

"One...!"

"Brick, no!"

"Two..."

"I'm serious! I-I'm fine!"

"Three.."

"Please don't.."

"Four..! Tell me now!"

"I am perfectly fine, Brick! Wait out there!"

"Five!"

Blossom yelped as the bathroom door flew open and Brick scowled at the girl with narrowed eyes. She tried not to notice the marks on the silvery door knob that indicated that he had picked the lock to get inside.

"You broke my lock.." the Puff pouted.

"I got worried." Brick shrugged carelessly. "I thought.. Maybe you were crying or trying to hurt yourself or something.."

"I-I'm not." she declared. "I'd never do that."

"That's what they all say.. Now, let me see your arms and legs." he commanded sternly.

"No! That's completely unnecessary!" she argued, blushing. "I-I don't want you to look at me!"

"Blossy, if you don't cut yourself, you'd let me see." he snarled softly. "Now, turn your arms over."

Blossom sighed defeatedly as she slowly showed Brick the inside of her arms. It wasn't the arm part she was so defensive about; it was having Brick look at her legs that was the reason she was putting up such a fight. He was known to be perverted and she worried that the red boy might have a few not-so-innocent notions while examining her.

Brick carefully examined his counterpart, trying not to do anything that could be considered dirty, and his focus landed on the protective way she was clenching her fist. His eyes flashed to hers.

"What's wrong with your hand?" Brick demanded.

"Nothing." Blossom replied a little too quickly for the boy's liking.

"Open your hand." he commanded.

"No." she panicked. "I-I mean, it's fine. There's nothing wrong. It just hurts."

"I said open your hand." he repeated sternly. "Open your hand before I do it for you."

"Watch it, Jojo. I can still wake up my sisters." she threatened. "I-if you don't stop harassing me about my hand, I will."

"You're lying, aren't you? You cut your hand!" the Ruff accussed.

"I am not! I didn't do a thing!" she argued.

"Liar!" he jeered. "Liar, liar, pants on fire, stuck outside on an electrical wire."

"Brick, just trust me. I am not lying." the redhead girl huffed exasperatedly.

Brick sighed and turned his head away from his stubborn counterpart. It might have been because of how early it was in the morning or because it was her, but even arguing with Butch seemed better to Brick; Butch, the most adamant person Brick really ever disputed with.

"Fine. Don't show me. I'll just assume you cut yourself and hide it." Brick said, rolling his eyes dramatically.

"I do not." Blossom grumbled in response that told the boy that she hadn't detected the fake nature of his current behavior.

"Whatever you say." he responded. "I should really get going. You don't mind getting a bag for my bloody clothes, do you?"

"If you drop this whole hand thing, I won't." she shot back.

"Deal." he smirked smugly.

Blossom rolled her eyes and as she reached for the cabinet, Brick snatched her hand. Blossom yelped in shock at how quickly he had grasped her and terror filled her as he saw the burn in the palm of her hand.

Horror, anxiety, and embarrassment took over her mind before she knew it. She didn't want Brick to know a thing about those dreams and she didn't want him to ask questions, so she used her last resort.

"BUTTERCUP!"

Brick's eyes widened as the pink-eyed girl called her sister's name and his throat started to dry up rapidly as he heard the door, logically of Buttercup's room, bang open. He cursed and glared at Blossom who had yanked her hand back.

"How the hell could you do that to me?!" Brick snarled in panic.

Blossom could only stare at the red boy numbly, red-cheeked, before the loud, angry stomps of her sister came closer. Brick bolted faster than a criminal might if there was a shooting out with the police, not understanding what he had seen in Blossom's eyes.

Uncontrollable fear.

-End of Chapter!-

A/N: Well, Brick's struggling with his feelings.. But now the story's plot is coming along! Is anyone glad about that? Let's hear it for the plot! -Crickets chirp-... Hello?...-


	4. Chapter 4

ed... Brick X Blossom.. **Requested**.. By Dark Angel 91398..

A/N: Yay! You don't know how happy all this feedback makes me, do you?~ I feel so giddy and bubbly! Must be how Bubbles feels practically 24/7, huh? Pathetic jokes aside, thank you for the reviews and such on the chapter that lacked any real purpose than to push the plot along slightly. Enjoy the chapter.

Chapter Four: Great Unexpectations

Blossom sighed as she walked into school almost a week later, clutching the straps of her strawberry ice cream pink backpack in an almost insecure way.

Buttercup had stayed out front with her rebellious friends, giving up on trying to find out what happened the previous week, and Bubbles had made a beeline for her friend's locker to gossip about things that Blossom didn't care about which left the redhead completely alone.

In that time period, the pink-eyed girl hadn't seen any traces of her counterpart at all. Brick hadn't shown up at crimes ("He's sick." his brothers had said lamely, "He's just not feeling good."). He hadn't shown up at school. He hadn't been seen outside the volcano lair at all.

Blossom's head started to fill with sharp pains in her temples.

She wasn't sure if Brick was really sick or if he was just staying at home, but she felt guilty. Maybe the feeling wouldn't have been so strong if Blossom wouldn't have almost sicced her sister the day he had stayed over and started questioning her about her nightmares.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the Ruffs walking down the hallway past her locker glumly. Brick was still missing from the usually obnoxious trio and though she didn't see it, Boomer sent a glance her way that made the guilt feel worse.

Blossom sighed, pulled her materials from her bag, hung her lock back on, and shut the locker with a metallic slam. She didn't expect to see someone next to her once the door was closed and blinked.

Pink eyes, darker than Blossom's own yet brighter and closer to red, glowered into the Puff's. Blossom recoiled mentally at the sudden intrusion and turned to look at Berserk whose book bag was still on her shoulder.

"What are you doing here, Berserk?" Blossom asked confusedly. "Your locker is on the other side of the school."

"I know where my locker is, Pinky. What I wanna know is why Brick hasn't been in school." the Powerpunk demanded angrily. "You better start talking or we're gonna have a lot more problems than we already have."

"How should I know? It's not like I'm his babysitter or anything. Go ask one of his brothers." the heroine remarked, rolling her eyes at the weak threat.

"I bet you do know something. I know it!" the villainess hissed.

The warning bell sounded through the school and Berserk sneered to herself before turning away. She paused to throw Blossom a dirty look and continued on her way. Blossom tried to ignore the now rapidly blooming buds of guilt again and walked down the hallway to her homeroom.

Despite the warning sound, many of her classmates were outside of the classroom and the room was virtually empty aside from a few students whose names were long forgotten by everyone else. Blossom sighed, sinking into her desk's plastic seat, and tried to focus to the teenage news report that seemed to exist only in the school.

The forced attention, however, lasted only a silent minutes. The morning homeroom teacher, Mrs. Lipskombt, entered the room and tapped Blossom on the shoulder before silently motioning the redhead to the large, metal desk in the front of the room.

Blossom followed the teacher in puzzlement. She didn't have any overdue library book, unexcused absences, or any involvement with any trouble in the school. There wasn't a real reason for the teacher to need to talk to her.

"Yes, Mrs. Lipskombt?" Blossom asked hesitantly.

"Blossom, Brick's been absent for a week now and with his already slipping grades, he won't be able to catch up with the curriculum. You and Brick are in.. A lot of classes together, right?" the brunette lady started.

"What does this have to do with me?" the girl asked reluctantly, already aware of what the teacher was going to request.

"I need you to tutor him and give him all the notes that he's missed." Mrs. Lipskombt commanded. "I shouldn't be doing this, but I'm giving you a special excuse."

"Excuse? For what?" the pink Puff demanded.

"To leave school and go to Brick's to tutor him." the former replied, turning away to grab a brightly colored slip of brilliant lime. "I know it's going to be a bit difficult, but you'll manage. Your grades are wonderful and you catch up very quickly."

"But, my dad-." Blossom began.

"I've sent him an email and he thinks it's a great idea." the brown-haired woman interrupted. "He agrees with it."

Blossom felt her vocal chords shrink and her mouth became a storm of dry desert dust. Seeing Brick didn't seem like a good idea at all, no matter what anyone else said. She swallowed and thought of a desperate escape plan.

"What about his dad? Mojo doesn't appreciate my family near his, with us being heroes and all..." Blossom asked. "There'd be a lot more issues between us."

Mentally, Blossom sneered at the last phrase that reminded her of Berserk's ominous words from just a few moments ago. She tuned back into reality to see Mrs. Lipskombt chewing her bottom lip while looking at her laptop intently.

"The email he sent said he'd appreciate it if you tutored Brick even if you don't get along." the teacher paraphrased plainly as she passed Blossom the signed pass and the rather large packet of notes. "Now, pack your things and go to Brick's house. Mojo mentioned that the spare key was in the crack on the top of the door frame."

Blossom swallowed and slowly gathered her things at a snail's pace, trying not to notice one of the unknown student's shocked expression. The bell rang and Blossom managed to slip out of the door before the crushing wave of teenagers could even come close to trampling her.

Through the cramped stream of students in the hallway, Blossom found herself too distracted to even see people she knew waving at her or hear their hellos over the noisy cacophony of talk that crashed around her.

Why did it seem like everyone was against her and wanted her to encounter Brick at every turn? Wasn't it enough that he had even returned when she was in third grade? That ever since, he made sure her life was at least irritating to some extent, even a weak one?

Her lips burned at the memory of the kiss between them and Blossom tried to ignore the color that rushed to her cheeks, hoping no one would notice or, maybe, even see her. She bit her lip and sighed as she finally reached the haven of her locker with the hallways near empty, or at least, much thinner.

Blossom loathed the idea of being alone with Brick again. The last time she had been alone with the red-eyed Jojo, things between them had been rough although it didn't help that he had tricked her. She bitterly spun her combination on her lock and gasped as she felt someone slam her into the floor.

"Oh, I am so sorry! I didn't see you there! Are you okay?" a thickly accented voice asked concernedly.

"Yeah, I think so. My head just hurts.." Blossom groaned in pain as she gently reached for the spot on the back of her head, looking up.

Ice blue eyes pierced her pink ones warmly, something that caught the leader off guard, and she felt a leathery gloved hand grab her bare one to pull her up. Those eyes seemed like they should be cold and sharp like the substance they looked like, but they were almost passionate and fiery instead.

She liked the color of them.

Blossom stood up and recognized the person faintly. She had seen him, wearing a white lab coat like her father's, in some of her classes for the first time about a month or so ago and she could almost recall that oddly accented voice say his name, but she couldn't remember what exactly it was. All she knew was it started with a "D".

"You're in some of my classes, right?" Blossom asked as she took the books he had gather from the floor from him. "I'm sorry. I can't remember your name."

"My name is Dexter and yes, I am." the boy smiled proudly. "I think I'm in all of them except maybe, your music, family and consumer science, lunch, and language class. And you're Blossom."

"Yeah." she replied, grinning foolishly despite herself.

Dexter readjusted his thick glasses and pushed a few locks of curly auburn from his face. He stood only a few inches taller than her and for some reason, Blossom was reminded of her counterpart. She swallowed and shifted as the comfortable silence soured to an awkward one.

"I'd love to talk to you, but I have to go and you've got homeroom to attend." Blossom said, the smile faltering and slipping entirely.

"I'm excused from homeroom because I have to go to speech. The teachers can barely understand me with my accent." Dexter laughed. "But, I get it. You have to go. I'll see you later, right?"

"Yeah. We'll see each other later." the pink-eyed girl smiled.

Blossom watched as the nerdy looking boy walked on and finally noticed the heat in her face. She blinked, realizing that it wasn't because of Brick, but because of that accented boy. The guilt stole the heat from her face and she sighed as she slipped her belongings back into her bag.

Blossom shut her locker and frowned as she realized that soon, Brick would be alone with her. The thought made her feel uncomfortable, but she walked to the office where she got the approval to leave with her special paper slip.

The ginger pushed her feet off the ground and watched as her pink trail mimicked the pattern of her flight while she travelled to her counterpart's house slowly. Her heart was beating like a mouse's in the grasp of a snake.

The journey from the school to the volcano lair where the Jojos lived that everyone typically kept a few yards away from was a short distance and Blossom found herself at the home quicker than she wished, landing on the doorstep.

The girl sighed and began to look for the hidden key. She had just stuck it inside the doorknob when she felt the door open.

Blossom blinked in shock. Those blood red eyes stared into hers fiercely like a rabid dog's, but the last time their eyes had met, there hadn't been bags under his eyes. Nor had his hair been so messy and ratty. In fact, this boy barely seemed like Brick at all with his arrogance missing and his voice lost.

"Brick?"

-A/N: My friend put a ridiculous deadline on me, so I apologize for this rushed product of mine! But... At least, it's an update. Look on the bright side. Does anyone know what the title is a reference of? The person who guesses gets either a oneshot with the couple of their choice or a story.~


	5. Chapter 5

Red... Brick X Blossom.. **Requested**.. By Dark Angel 91398..

A/N: Wow, I feel happy!~ I know I don't update much and I apologize for that (personal life issues including a bad friendship end and a death), but I hope you enjoy this chapter. Since I wasn't specific regarding what title the contest was referring to (my editor and I apologize profusely), there are two winners: a guest, KimiNiTodoke, and Tndsecretoperative. Congrazzles!~

Chapter Five: Chicken Soup For The Bold

Brick shivered under his heavy blanket and kept his narrowed eyes on Blossom. How dare she even show up here! What the hell was wrong with her?! Either they were frenemies or they were foes, not anything in between!

"What the hell do you want?" Brick demanded angrily, barely audible with his hoarse voice.

Blossom blinked, still adjusting to her counterpart's dreadful condition and bruises, and sighed. Hesitantly, she merely showed him the stack of notes that she had been sent with and his disdain grew. School. Of fucking course. Why not?

"Oh." Brick's voice fell flat of any emotion. "School shit."

"Yeah.. Mrs. Lipskombt thought it would be a good idea to come here and help catch you up with everything.." Blossom explained.

"You really didn't have to though. I can do it myself." he replied bitterly. "I'm not stupid, you know."

"I didn't say you were, but do you see this pile?" she retorted. "This is a lot to have to take in and you might need help."

"I don't need any help." he rasped, coughing heavily.

Blossom cringed at the sound of the hacking and Brick gripped the door frame tightly, shaking. He glared at her viciously, at the pity in her eyes when she looked at him, and rubbed his throat before talking.

"Stop looking at me like that, got it? I don't need your fucking pity." the red-eyed boy hissed.

"Brick, you don't honestly-." Blossom started. "Hey! Don't you close the door on me!"

"I said go away!" he argued, feebly attempting to shove the door closed.

"I'm going to help you whether you like it or not!" she protested as she pushed the door open.

Brick stumbled back and Blossom grasped his wrist before he could fall. Brick cursed under his breath and shivered, knowing how weak he was at the moment. The pitiful look in his counterpart's eyes burned through him.

"You're really sick, huh?" Blossom remarked softly.

"I'm fine. It's nothing!" the boy sneered. "Okay? Don't worry about me now after everything."

Blossom sighed, brushing a stray tress of red back from her eyes, trying not to feel guilty. She knew that she had been in the wrong, but he didn't have to repeatedly keep playing the card when given the chance.

"Brick, I know what I did was selfish and admittedly, mean, but you don't have to keep making me feel so guilty." Blossom replied. "I get it. You're still pretty sore over it."

"Damn right, I am." the evil ginger replied bitterly. "All I did was try to be nice for once and you turned around and tried to get me killed!"

"Just stop getting loud, okay? It's not like we're deaf. If it helps, I'm sorry-." she started.

"It doesn't." he interrupted.

"Let me finish. Anyway, we have to get you caught up. Let's just put that in the past and let bygones be bygones." the pink-eyed girl sighed, rolling her eyes at Brick's expression that looked rather much like pouting.

Brick shivered and Blossom noticed how red his cheeks were getting. She couldn't help but wonder if his sickness was contagious and whether his redness was due to fever or not. Before either one of them realized it, Blossom lifted her hand and put it against Brick's burning skin. She yanked it away.

"You're burning up!" Blossom exclaimed, blinking in shock. "Brick, you need to go lay down!"

"I don't wanna!" Brick protested. "I-T-... You can't make me!"

"Brick, go lay down now! You're not going to get any better without rest!" she argued, putting the papers down on a nearby stand.

"I thought we needed to get that done." he mocked.

"We do, but your sickness is a little more important right now." she retorted, storming into the kitchen.

"Hey! I-I didn't invite you in!" the Ruff growled, following her. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Blossom ignored the red boy's grumbling and she opened up a cabinet, trying to remember where and if Mojo kept medicine. Brick blinked at her confusedly and pursed his lips.

"Why are you ransacking my house?" the ginger demanded irritably. "I told you that A. I didn't invite you in and B. I'm fine."

"I'm not ransacking anything, mind you. I'm looking for medicine." the pink Puff replied.

"Try the cabinet left of you." he sighed. "You're really stubborn, you know that?"

"We are counterparts for a reason." she smirked smugly.

Brick rolled his eyes at her reply and slowly backed out of the kitchen, feeling more heat flood his face. He knew that this heat was from knowing she cared and he disliked the fact extremely. Quietly, he slunk down the hall and into his room, locking the door.

"You can't get me now!~" Brick snickered tauntingly as he plopped down into his bed, turning on his iPod.

Blossom puckered her lips as if he had forced sour lemon down her throat and rummaged through the cabinet, grabbing a few bottles of medicines, haphazardly tossing them into her pockets, before quietly making her way to Brick's barricade.

"Brick Jojo, let me in now." Blossom commanded, jingling the knob in an attempt to force the door open.

"Oh? Can't you get in, Blossom?" Brick asked smugly. "Oh, well. Too bad. You can leave now."

"I am not leaving until you rest and then get your work down!" she insisted adamantly. "Now, open the door!"

"No habla ingles! Um, que?! No se, no se!" he protested profusely, throwing a beanbag in front of the door lazily.

"Brick, I know you speak English." she sighed, letting her hand slip off of the door knob reluctantly. "... If I say please, can I come in?"

"Go away unless you're that guy from the circus." he retorted. "I like my funnel cake like I like my women – hot and with lots of sugar. And with a discount if possible since funnel cake is, like, six bucks. Which is why I steal my funnel cakes like I do my women."

"... You're really sick to be ranting about the circus and funnel cake..." Blossom huffed as she walked back into the kitchen.

"You're just ratchet! You have no swag or swerve!" the Ruff grumbled.

"Ratchet? I've never heard it used in that context.." the girl mused amusedly as she grabbed a pair of scissors from the kitchen drawer.

"Oh, yeah. All of us popular kids say it. Ratchet's the word for people who are snobby, annoying, boring, swag-less, and all." he laughed loudly.

Blossom rolled her eyes and gingerly slide the scissors into the key slot of the door. She jingled it a bit and twisted it slightly, wondering why Brick refused to let her near him. The sound of the lock popping open sang in her ears heavenly and she heard Brick yelp loudly as she twisted the door open.

"What the-?! How did you get in here?!" the boy demanded irritably, sitting up from his bed rapidly.

Blossom couldn't help but smile a tad bit at the way his hair wildly flew into his face, covering his eyes in an almost childish way. A small part of her wanted to brush it back and comb it, but the larger part of her commanded that the boy got his work done.

"I read a lot of books and learn things. That, and the fact that I'm a superhero who deals with crooks doesn't hurt." Blossom grinned. "Now it's time to take your medicine. Open up."

"I'm not going to listen to you just because you say so. I'm like a llama, Blossom. A motherfucking llama. Do you know how bad ass llamas are?" Brick rambled.

"... You're very, very sick. If you take your meds, you won't be so.. Insane." she frowned, measuring out a dosage of a bright red liquid syrup. (A/N: Imagine cough syrup if you must. That was my inspiration... My disgusting inspiration..)

"Over my dead bo-!" he began with a snarl, only for Blossom to pour the bitter remedy into his mouth.

The red-eyed boy choked as if unable to breathe and Blossom blinked as she watched her counterpart cough harshly into his elbow. His blood-red eyes pierced hers angrily and he scrubbed at his mouth roughly as if trying to rub it off of his face.

"Never again. Do you hear me?! Never again!" Brick spat.

"Sure thing.." the girl laughed, rolling her eyes.

Brick opened his mouth to say something and heard the sound of his father's footsteps from the door. He looked in the direction of the sound and turned back to his counterpart, only to return to empty air. He sighed and slouched into his bed tiredly. A bright piece of pink Post-It caught his attention:

"If you need any help with the work (or taking care of yourself *Hint hint*), call my cell – Blossom

P.S. I asked your dad to bring you funnel cake since you obviously like it.."

Brick felt the red rush of embarrassment flood his face and he resisted hugging his pillow and squealing excitedly into it. Instead, he grinned.

"Well.. I guess she cared after all.." Brick mused sleepily before falling into a deep, dark slumber.

-End of chapter-

A/N:.. I apologize for my long vacation.. School had really had me pushing it and I neglected my stories and my stories' fans. For that, I apologize.. I also apologize for being a tad rusty at this; it had been a while.. Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll try to update more regularly. I might not be able to since I'm in all Honors classes next year.. And English has a lot of summer assignments.. Thanks again and bye!


	6. Chapter 6

Red... Brick X Blossom.. **Requested**.. By Dark Angel 91398..

A/N: It seems this Honors work is becoming the bane of my existence.. For those curious, I have to read _Great Expectations_ by Charles Dickens, _A Separate Peace_ by (Oh my. I've forgotten..), _To Kill A Mockingbird_ by (Harper Lee..? I don't have the books with me, I apologize..), and take at lease ten pages of notes on each book and write a five paragraph essay on a major theme of either _Great Expectations _or _A Separate Peace._ I procrastinate a lot for school so.. I'm a bit worried since I fail the first day if I don't have all of this completed. Anyway.. I apologize for my delays but here is my next chapter in Red!~

Chapter Six (Six? Is it? Really?! I feel stupid. Please correct me if I'm wrong..): The Road Not Taken

Buttercup slurped her slushy loudly as she eyed Blossom with emerald eyes. Blossom bit her lip as she stirred dinner and Buttercup noticed how red her sister's face was. What was with Bloss anyway? She kept acting really weird. Well, weirder than usual anyway. Well, kinda.

Buttercup hadn't seen Blossom at school which usually didn't happen, so that was weird. And she was having a lot more nightmares too. And.. Well, Blossom's room still reeked of cologne which was way too suspicious to ignore.

"So who is he?" Buttercup asked bluntly, pulling the straw of her drink away from her mouth for a moment. "You can't hide him from me forever. I'm going to find out who he is eventually."

"Who is.. Who..?" Blossom asked in confusion. "If you were talking before, I'm sorry but I couldn't hear you over your piggish noises."

"Oink, oink. Seriously, who is he?" the raven scoffed.

"What are you talking about, Bee?" the cook sighed. "I don't know-."

"The guy who was in your room!" the emerald-eyed girl interrupted impatiently. "Something's going on with you and I know it! You can't hide it forever!"

"What guy in my room?! There was a boy in my room?!" Blossom demanded, panicking slightly.

The last time a boy had been in her room and her sisters had known, it was when she had been six and it had been her counterpart naturally. Brick and his brothers had completely ransacked the house, destroying the room that she shared with Bubbles and Buttercup. Eventually, the boys did get what was coming when they were caught, but the idea of having the sanctity of her home being invaded without her knowledge had made Blossom a tad paranoid.

"I never said that. Don't you start putting words in my mouth." Buttercup grumbled, defensively putting her hands up. "I'm just pretty sure you're hiding a guy.."

"What? Why would you think that?!" the redhead demanded with red cheeks. "Nothing I do should make you assume that!"

"Don't yell at me! You started it!" the former protested. "You've been acting weird!"

"I thought I was always weird to you!" the pink-eyed Puff huffed.

"You are, but you're just being a lot more suspicious now!" the raven argued. "You're hiding something and I will find out what it is!"

"Why would I hide anything?!" Blossom demanded, glaring at her sister from under her bangs. "I have nothing to hide from you!"

Buttercup sighed, awkwardly looking at the ground, and Blossom blinked as she realized that she technically was hiding something. Or at least, someone. And he may look slightly feminine with his long hair but was still completely masculine.

"I don't know. You've just been weird. I didn't see you or anything and your room smelled like Axe or something and you've been a lot louder with your nightmares." Buttercup sighed, crossing her arms. "I'm not used to that kinda shit."

"Watch your mouth.." the ginger sighed disapprovingly. "I know it's odd, but it doesn't mean I'm keeping secrets. And no, I'm not a Communist, spy, or anything else before you even suggest it."

"Damn.. There go my theories.." the green-eyed girl grumbled, getting up. "I'll be in my room if you need anything. Hopefully it'll be you telling me your dirty little secret."

"I have no secret!" the cook protested. "Dinner will be done soon anyway!"

"I'm not hungry anymore." the brunette said flatly. "Oh, and uh, Bubbles is at Robin's house. She told me to tell you but I kinda forgot so.. Yeah.."

"Great.. Dinner for four but only two are eating.." Blossom frowned.

"Um, Dad's kinda working overtime. I forgot to tell you again. Wrap some food up or something, 'kay?" Buttercup suggested, leaving the room. "I'll just eat later on."

Blossom felt her stomach turn. Everyone was always too busy for family dinner anymore and it seemed cold and lonely to eat dinner alone. With a sigh, she removed the pasta from the burner, drained it, and immediately pour it into a large plastic bowl for later. She scrubbed the dishes with a heavy heart, trying not to think about how distant the family had grown.

Life wasn't the same anymore and it was more prominent now than ever before. In the past, the Professor would have the girls help in cooking dinner and they would all sit at the green table to eat and talk about their day. But now...

Now it was just Blossom cooking dinner for everyone while the Professor usually worked, Bubbles visited a friend or went to cheerleading, and Buttercup did.. Whatever people like Butttercup did aside from softball or mischief.

Blossom hung her wet apron up on the little hook next to the stove and grabbed her shoes. The soft sounds of birds from outside reminded her that there was still daylight to burn. Laced up and ready to leave, Blossom looked around the empty house.

If home is where the heart is.. Does that mean her heart was empty and changed with age as well? She didn't ponder the thought too much and slipping her headphones on, switched her iPod to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky*'s "Swan Lake" before heading out the door.

(A/N:*Pyotr Ilyich/Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer/orchestrator and was the first Russian musician to kind of leave his mark in places globally. Some of his famous works include "Swan Lake", "The Nutcracker", "1812 Overture", and a few other works. I'm not sure how many people actually know of Tchaikovsky (not many people enjoy classical music and Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven are more well-known) and I figured I would give a little bit of background on one of my favorite composers. Yes. For those of you not aware.. I am a nerd. I know, I know.. Shocking! The More You Know!~)

The park was at an odd standstill on when Blossom entered the grounds and the swings creaked eerily. Shadows danced about, lurking, haunting, lingering, like spirits who had long lost their purpose and merely stood in an eternal limbo between life and death. There was still sunlight but it felt like the area was possessed and that the light might as well have not been there as the splotches of darkness became enraged and grew taller.

The only activity in the park was on the other side where two children sat in the sandbox with brightly colored plastic buckets and shovels, too far away to tell what gender either was. A smile graced Blossom's lips at the sight of the duo and the wind carried their voices over to her.

"Hey, Chris?" the one asked softly.

"What's the matter, Jordan?" the other mumbled.

"...Nothing.. I just wanted to make sure you didn't forget me like everyone else." the first confessed.

"I'll never forget you. You're like my sister 'cept you're my best friend." the latter replied with a steely look. "...Hey, look. You're my best friend in the whole world and you always be, okay?"

The brief conversation, delivered by the wind, broke into Blossom's sense as the beautiful sounds of classical music stopped. Blossom felt disheartened as she thought of her own sisters who had been her best friends when they were younger. It had been a while ago since any of them actually discussed anything not pertaining to advice or of home.

It felt like the war path of life had completely shoved the Utonium girls off the tight rope between close childhood and tight teenagers. Hadn't they shared a big, ridiculous bed in their days of lunch boxes, hopscotch, and tag? Hadn't they done almost every little thing together?

In firefly catching days, it had been simpler and close. The days of childhood games were gone. The monsters under their bed had caught up and the flames of family were nothing but embers and ash. Close-knitted warmth was now loose shreds of cloth and none of it could be fixed for now. The pieces were scattered.

Blossom walked down the path that went by the small children and blinked in shock as she glanced at them. It was like she had travelled back in time to an alternate universe. A little girl with wide eyes of hazel and long auburn hair toyed with a small red bow in her hair as a little boy with a red hat and bright red hair continued scolding the girl for ever believing that he would forget her, bent over a green bucket of sand and twigs.

The little girl smiled at Blossom and Blossom waved at her, trying to calm her jolted heart. The boy mumbled something under his breath and the girl turned back to him. Something about the boy reminded the Powerpuff of her counterpart and Blossom continued along the trail, thinking of Brick.

He hadn't called to ask for help with anything and honestly, Blossom was glad he hadn't. The thought of the brief note made her cheeks heat up though she didn't know why. It's not like she had asked or said anything embarrassing. Brick was probably too stubborn (or sick) to call her anyway. It had been out of sheer politeness that she had left the note.. Hadn't it?

Blossom stopped as she reached a fork in the path and she glanced at both options. The left one was well-worn like most of the books in her library at home, comfortable and snug. The right one wasn't as touched, much of it rough-looking and abusive, and was obviously the longer path. The poem by Robert Frost came to mind and Blossom pondered her options as much as she had thought over the poem in class.

However, she didn't have longer before someone tapped her on the shoulder lightly. Blossom spun around and blinked as she came face-to-face with Dexter. Relief filled her as she realized that it was wasn't Brick but in the same aspect, she felt disappointed.

(A/N: I'm sorry but I must make a smart comment.. - she felt disappointed. And so did many readers as they read that it was Dorky Pig. They then proceed to flame, rant on their hipster blogs, and press the exit button. *Tries dodging objects readers throw at* Ow! I said sorry! Also, yes, I happen to like poetry especially Frost.. Again.. Nerd.)

"Oh it's you, Dexter." Blossom smiled, trying to hide the odd feeling of loss in her eyes.

"Were you expecting someone, Blossom?" Dexter asked curiously. "I'm sorry for the interruption."

"No, I wasn't actually. I was just trying to decide what path to take." she explained. "I can't help but feel like if I take one, I'll lose the other and such."

"Ah.. I see. Obviously it's a better idea to take the left. There are probably more people on it, it's safer and more friendly, and it wouldn't be too hard to use as a shortcut." he replied, pushing his thick glasses onto the bridge of his nose.

"I guess so.. But what if it turns out that the right one is more serene, scenic, and just looks rugged because many people haven't been through it?" the girl returned.

"Why are you so defensive over a trail in the park? It's not living and it certainly doesn't have emotions. It's just a path people use to get to their destination." Dexter retorted, cocking a brow.

"I'm not being defensively. I'm just pointing out a scenario." she sighed. "I'm not exactly Ms. Popular for a reason.."

"I'm glad you're not to be honest. I prefer someone who thinks and is a bit more awkward than someone who goes around just trying to bend to society's ways." Dexter shrugged. "It could be because I myself am that way though."

Blossom blinked at Dexter's rather blunt confession and felt her cheeks become powdered pink. She looked away at the paths to distract herself and thought over the options in her head. Dexter looked in the other direction and frowned. Was that quick glimpse of red really there or was it just a trick of the eye? His blue eyes narrowed beneath his glasses.

"It's getting dark and I've got to go back home. I'll see you around school, okay? Bye, Dexter." Blossom piped up quickly, walking away. "Oh, and.. Um.. Thanks for the slight compliment."

"Uh, yeah.. Sure thing.. See you later, Blossom." Dexter replied as he tried to find that offending splotch of red amongst the regular, mundane background of trees and foliage.

The boy genius watched as Blossom rushed away. He wondered why she wasn't using her superpowers but it didn't matter. He had complimented her like he had been wanting to and she had even thanked him. A slightly warm feeling filled his head and Dexter smiled, turning toward the paths.

The smile disappeared the instant he did. Instead, his lips curled upward into a snarling scowl as the vulgar shade of red he had seen earlier reappeared. Icy cold eyes of blue sparked a glare against blazing hot eyes of blood red and Dexter felt himself get lifted by the front of his perfectly spotless lab coat. Brick leered down at the blue-eyed redhead with burning hatred and possibly envy in his eyes, taunt and full of adrenaline.

"Ah, Brick. I see you've finally arrived."

-End of Chapter!-

Me: Finally.. Finished.. I apologize to all for this lackluster chapter but I had a due date (I'm three days behind T-T) though family does come first (sometimes) to fanfics.

Brick: Hey, uh, we need more apology cookies. *Hold up empty box*

Blossom: You ate them all?!

Brick: NO!.. Just most of them!

Me:... Ffffuuu-! Brick! The others don't come in for another week!

Brick: Good.. Good.. Mwahahaha!

Dexter: If I may interrupt, I believe I have a solution to your cookie problem. Behold! - The Ultra Cloner 2000! *zaps cookie*

Brick:.. THROW OUT THAT COOKIE! HE'S CONTAMINATED IT!

Me:.. =3= Well.. I'm sorry but we have no apology cookies.. Instead, enjoy the moon. Unless you live in a cave. Then my question is how are you on FF..!? Anyway, I'm sorry and bye! Sorry for the boringness! We needed some background as to Blossom's life! A little! Maybe we'll get into Brick's or Dexter's next..

Brick:.. *Smacks* FRESH!


End file.
